The most common failure in executive communication is the inability to distinguish between delivering data and delivering direction.

When presenting at the board level, the assumption is often, “I must justify my recommendation with every possible piece of detail.” The result is a long, linear presentation that buries the lead. The board spends their time trying to find the point, not engaging with your insight.

Effective executive communication is a pyramid. Most managers start at the bottom (Data). Leaders start at the top (Implication).

The Pyramid of Communication:

• 1. The Implication (The Cathedral): This is the WHY. The single most important takeaway. The decision you need them to make. (e.g., "We must secure this acquisition to own 80% of the market in 5 years.")

  
  

• 2. The Insight (The Wall): This is the SO WHAT. The synthesis of your data. (e.g., "Our competitor's pricing indicates a market shift away from quality and toward volume.")

  
  

• 3. The Data (The Stone): This is the SUPPORT. The evidence that justifies the insight.

  
  

To command attention, you must lead with the conclusion. State your most important message in your first 60 seconds. Then, use the subsequent slides not to make your point, but to defend the point you have already made.

This elevation of your message signals that you are operating at their level—the level of strategy and implication, not the level of detail and execution.

Download The Executive Presence Blueprint, your step-by-step guide to mastering the three levels of communication and influence.